This site will point you to places you've never been to before.
You'll also be introduced to films (ratings from 1- 5), festivals, music, getaways travel, restaurants and much more. Commentaries and amusing anecdotes may pop up.
I really welcome your comments at the bottom of each article.
So join me on the ride into the rugged and the luxurious.
We all need to discover open borders in the world and in ourselves.
S.N.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Perfectionist and lobbyist, Elizabeth Sloane plays her politically
marked cards so close to her chest, no one can predict what scrupulous move she
will make next to win at all costs. Dressed
to kill, she belongs to the ace suit, but the one of hearts is not one she
holds. Winning for her means changing the gun law so ensure dangerous offenders
are prevented from buying them. Sloane is Washington’s top lobbyist whose drive to
succeed brings her on the brink of ruin. Her life is lonely and without love of
any sort. Her passion lies in getting what she must do to win, even if it means
spying on her own team or throwing making public a very private incident
affecting her key team member.

This is a long film that moves as fast as Jessica Chastain talks and walks
in this political thriller that shows just how dastardly everyone plays their
hand when it comes to winning the lobbyist game. She's marvelous in this role. Korean script writer Jonathon
Perera inserted a tangle of twists typical in Korean films, but this is truly
an American Capitol Hill pot boiler.

Friday, December 23, 2016

There is no
post political after-killing agenda with ISIS.
It is a killing machine, and that is its sole purpose. After the total world annihilation
it is determined to achieve, what new society will it create? One never hears
about its vision after every non-Muslim is skewered, other than kill, kill,
kill.

There will be
no music, scientific research to better mankind’s health, in every kind of way.

No there
there will be just big black hole, but the hole is here on earth, not in space.
And it will be filled with the colour red.

What
demented aberrations in family upbringing could nurture encourage and celebrate
such a loathsome goal?

What kind
of mothers swaddled their babies? What kind of men beat up their wives? The
cowardly violence is a genesis that surely started in these control-freak
families: husbands subjugating wives, beating them, brothers stoning their own
sisters, kids following the commandments that would avoid shame even if it
meant family killings.

There is no
hope for this kind of human. There is no Western wrath enormous enough to match
theirs; there is no way to turn these endlessly ill creatures of death around. Just as mankind went form Neanderthal to fully erect homo sapiens (knowing man), one wonders if ISIS is a collective regression into a homo subspecies whose name has the word "kill" in its Latin form.

ISIS
will not be content until the world’s dry earth and seas are brimming blood.
They will feel proud only when this happens, knowing they did this, knowing
that the impulse to kill can’t be stopped. Hopefully, they’ll turn on one
another, and then from our graves we can heave a long eternal sigh of relief.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Alaskan wilderness is the major backdrop for this film with a plot that
is highly unlikely – or is it? It's compelling but something doesn’t ring true
about it all; that could be because the implausible plot in the film is based on a falsehood.

Miles and Liam (two brothers) intent on saving the fishing boat of their
late mother hatch a scheme. Miles, the older sibling will fake getting lost in
the snowy wilds in the mountains and stay undetected for 10 days. But this
movie is full of hoaxes that don’t bring in the money they hope to get from
writing a book about Miles’ dangerous mishap in the mountains.

Instead, the
plan gets found out and each brother must conjure up a way to keep the deception going.
Ironically, Miles wants out of the plan once he returns from the mountain, but the trek caused severe injury to him.

Once back, he has a change of heart, and this stirs up even more problems. In the end, the
mother’s boat is the least of the brothers' worries. The interminable number of big and
small plot twists becomes a parody on the reversal of fortune for most everyone
involved. Still, the acting wasn’t bad, but the vivid scenery was the true scene stealer of it
all.

Monday, December 12, 2016

In 1942, Pitt's Canadian intelligence officer
Max Vatan (Brad Pitt) parachutes into North Africa – the best scene in the film with
James Bond style, minus the music. He makes his way to Casablanca. His mission
is to assassinate the German ambassador with the help of Marianne Beausejour
(Cotillard), a French Resistance fighter who will be posing as his wife and who
has gotten herself into the good graces of the local Nazi chiefs. Over the next
few days, they prepare themselves for the mission while trying to establish
themselves as a loving married couple so as not to arouse any suspicion. There is attraction between them despite their
professional attitudes of faking things. Still, their masked fiction fades; the
two can’t resist one another which culminates inside a car during a desert dust
storm (effective indeed). They complete their mission in an equally spectacular
manner. During their escape, Max asks Marianne to return to London with him so
that they can get married. She eagerly agrees.A year later with Max and Marianne are happily
married and living in London with their newborn baby Anna. (That labor scene
outside at night during an air raid was well done).

Bliss ends when evidence
suggests that the real Marianne Beausejour was killed a couple of years earlier
and that his wife is actually a German spy. Max cannot believe this but the
evidence, while not quite conclusive, is fairly damning. To settle the question
once and for all, he is ordered to leave some fake information lying around
where she can find it—if it turns up in the next intercepted German communique,
she is guilty. If she does turn out to be a spy, Max is required to kill her.

If he refuses or tries to tip her off, it will lead to his execution as well.
To make matters even more discomfiting, not only is Max not allowed to
investigate on his own during the three days it will take to get the potentially
damning evidence, he has to go on with Marianne. The ending is epic, but the
film falls flat. Marion Cotard was great; Brad Pitt was shockingly boring.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

There are few parks that allow entrance with your dog in Quebec. You can’t even
walk along the water side of Lac St-Louis in Lachine. You have to cross the street and
take your dog on the sidewalk. Ridiculous! It's really a drag because one of
the joys of walking in nature with your dog is sharing your dogs romp on a
leash into freedom in a natural environment with you.

Your dog keeps you company, and he/she is a
great magnet for social banter with strangers you meet on the trails.

I was delighted to findSépaq
has opened 4 doggy-on-leash trails in Oka
Park along with Frontenac Park in St-François (250 kilometres form Montreal)
and Jacques-Cartier Park in Longueil (a mere metro/bus ride away from
Montreal).

I headed up to Oka Park (45 minutes by car from Montreal) on December 3rd to take advantage of this
new doggy opportunity. My dog Zak and I took the 7-kilometre trail along the Calvaire d’ Oka. Seven colourful wood reliefs in tiny chapel churches
replicating the originals ones crafted by François Guernon from Bellville in
the 18th-century dotted the trail and at the summit there were four
other. Collectively, they replicated the various stages of suffering in the
crucifixion of Christ.

It was an unusual adornment built among the tree-clustered path, but
they added a sense of reverence to the surrounding nature.

Though there were no colourful leaves on trees at this time of year, the
paths were lovely. I spotted two huge pileated (red-capped) woodpeckers tapping away on a
tree trunk, and in the distance, I saw Lake of Two Mountains.

The view at the summit was lovely indeed;
people were unusually quiet. Maybe they were tired from the walk, or respectful
of the religious element at their backs – the four final chapels.

Oka Park is a hot bed of activity for
the entire family in summer with its beach, and there are multiple activities
for everyone throughout the summer – all under the banner of “The Okasions”.

Winter's coming. The park has six ski trails totaling more than 35 kilometres!

Saturday, December 3, 2016

In Florence,
Italy, Harvard
professor of symbolism Robert Langdon is drawn into a harrowing world centered
on one of history's most enduring and mysterious literary masterpieces: Dante's
“Inferno”. When he wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, he teams up
with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help him recover his
memories.

All mysteries become more
visual clued through Botticelli’s painting of hell.

Against this backdrop,
Langdon overcomes his amnesia, battles a chilling adversary and grapples with a
confusing riddle that pulls him into a landscape of classic art, secret
passageways, and futuristic science. Can he with another professor
with whom he once entertained a romance save the world?

This is the lamest of the trilogies, and if
Langdon feels confused by memory hallucinations, we are triply baffled. There
is no suspense, no chemistry between either of the two female geniuses he works
with to prevent the “apocalyptic demise of the world. One of the dames proves to
be on side with evil. The glorious Istanbul
concert halls final scene if stunning, and perhaps it is this that makes the
film worthy of seeing if you can stick it out to the end. Tom Hanks not only
tried to save the world in his role as the professor, but you could see him
trying to “feel” the part to make the film work. Fortunately, the novel by Dan Brown is far superior to its film version.

Montreal, Thursday, December 1, 2016 — L’Équipe
Spectra, which has been seeking a partner to invest in modernizing
Métropolis, its legendary showroom on Ste. Catherine Street East, is delighted
to announce that a partnership agreement has been finalized to that end with TELUS,
a major player in our economy and a leader in the country’s telecommunications
sector. Beginning in late 2016, the two companies, sharing a
passion for the performing arts and new technologies, will pool their expertise
to modernize the venue in order to offer Montrealers an updated world class
performing arts experience.

An investment in the future

“When two leaders in their respective domains work together on a project
this exhilarating, we can expect great things. With our company, counting
almost 40 years of experience in the entertainment industry; TELUS, a leading
company in the domain of new technologies; and Métropolis, the #1 venue in
Canada, we have everything it takes to offer Montrealers the perfect gift!”
stated Jacques-André Dupont, CEO of L’Équipe Spectra.

Jacques-André Dupont (foreground)& François Gratton

Photo by Nancy Snipper

François Gratton, Executive Vice-President, TELUS and
Partner Solutions and President, Business Solutions East and TELUS Québec,
adds: “Montreal
is renowned for its vibrant music scene and as an outstanding springboard for
emerging artists. Through this partnership, TELUS wishes to mark the city’s
375th anniversary by bestowing it with a lasting cultural legacy, through an
investment intended to revitalize this legendary venue and burnish Montreal’s reputation on
the international scene. Together, we will ensure the cachet and integrity of
the venue is preserved so that spectators, artists and performers alike can
rediscover the iconic space they have always loved.”

Get ready for M TELUS

M TELUS logo

As a tribute to Métropolis and heralding the new partnership with TELUS, the
legendary hall that has thrilled Montreal
for 30 years will become M TELUS in May, 2017. And it should be emphasized that
L’Équipe Spectra and TELUS are especially concerned with preserving the
historic character of the venue; no surprise, then, to find traces of a living
legacy amidst the modernized venue.This is not the first collaboration between these two companies. TELUS has
proudly supported emerging Quebec
artists for the past 15 years, providing a platform and exposure of their work
by including them in the company’s advertising campaigns. In fact, in 2012, it
was at the Métropolis that TELUS launched its compilation album of songs
featured in its campaigns.Ranking 1st in Canada and 13th on the long list of the 200 greatest concert
clubs in the world in industry magazine Pollstar, Métropolis is, first
and foremost, The favourite show venue of Montrealers and the many
visitors and tourists who flock to it to cheer on the biggest and greatest
artists on the planet, a flagship of the Quartier des spectacles and our
downtown culture. And so it will remain.

Construction

Under this agreement, TELUS commits to invest more than 5 million dollars
over the next 10 years. Architectural and construction work will stretch over
three years, notably including a complete modernization of the lighting and
sound systems, with additional staging elements as well. Work will feature a
bright, user-friendly redevelopment of the Ste. Catherine Street façade, as well as
refurbishment of the lobby and loges (boxes). TELUS will bring its technological
skill and know-how to bear in order to maximize the spectator experience,
offering fans a completely modernized, rejuvenated experience, as well as
promotional support for producers and artists.In addition to preserving the integrity and unique character of the
performance hall, the shared goal is to improve the quality and high standards
of the shows and concerts presented for the audience, artists, employees and
producers, and offer a showroom worthy of the international reputation of the Montreal cultural scene.There is no closure expected, and the venue will continue to present shows
while construction is in progress.

One venue, 132 years of history

Over its 132-year history, 59
Ste. Catherine Street East has enjoyed a number of
incarnations:

Founded in 1884 as a skating
rink.

The following year, it became
Théâtre Français, a summer theatre.

From the 1920s, the venue
became The Loew’s Court cinema, before once again becoming Théâtre
Français.

After two fires, it was rebuilt
in early 1930 as a theatre: décor was handled by Emmanuel Briffa, who was
also responsible for the Théâtre Outremont.

From 1960 to 1981, the venue
became Cinema Eros, screening adult films.

After a six-year closure, the
space became “Métropolis,” a discotheque and showroom.

In 1997, L’Équipe Spectra
purchased Métropolis and reconfigured it as a venue exclusively dedicated
to live performance. Since then, it has welcomed such prestigious artists
as David Bowie, Prince, Beck, Les Rita Mitsouko, Kraftwerk, Radiohead,
Björk and Stromae, to name but a few. The venue is also an essential
creative space for local talents: Jean Leloup, Louis-Jean Cormier, Pierre
Lapointe, Daniel Bélanger, Ariane Moffatt and Plume Latraverse have all
headlined here.

In 2017, Métropolis will
become M TELUS, continuing to serve as a launching pad for local
musicians, welcome the world’s finest international artists, and offer an
outstanding venue for performing arts and popular celebrations in the
heart of Montreal.

About L’Équipe Spectra

Since its founding in 1977 by Alain Simard, André Ménard and Denyse McCann,
L’Équipe Spectra has contributed to developing and raising the profile of the
Montreal cultural scene at both the national and international level, with an
array of major productions and events including: major popular events such as
the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the FrancoFolies de Montréal
and MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE, that celebrate music, the arts and gastronomy; a rich
variety of high-quality stage productions, conceived and developed for touring
purposes; Spectra Musique, a bold record label featuring both emerging stars
and big names on the local and international scenes; the Maison du Festival, a
one-of-a-kind cultural complex housing a live showroom, bistro, jazz resource
centre and cinematheque, a gallery, an exhibition hall and a boutique, all
right in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles; a dynamic artists’ agency
representing some of the most talented and highly respected artists on the Québec
and French cultural scenes; three renowned concert halls; international-calibre
exhibitions that redefine the museum experience, including Indiana Jones and
the Adventure of Archaeology, created and developed with X3 Productions to
offer a unique visitor experience; a complete service for organizing corporate
events and cultural sponsorship.

About TELUSTELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is Canada’s fastest-growing national
telecommunications company, with $12.5 billion of annual revenue and 12.5
million customer connections, including 8.5 million wireless subscribers, 1.5
million residential network access lines, 1.6 million high-speed Internet
subscribers and 1 million TELUS TV customers. TELUS provides a wide range of
communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet
protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video, and is Canada’s
largest health-care IT provider.

About TELUS in QuebecOver the next four years, TELUS plans to invest more than $2 billion in
the construction of new infrastructure and installations across Quebec. Between 2000 and
the end of 2020, TELUS will have invested more than $27 billion in the province
to expand its leading wireline and wireless infrastructure. As part of this
commitment, TELUS has extended its fibre-optic network directly to homes,
businesses, schools and health care facilities in numerous urban and rural
communities to deliver innovation and help drive economic growth in the
province.In keeping with the company’s philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, team
members and retirees have contributed more than $54 million and 540,000
volunteer hours to charitable and community organizations throughout Quebec since
2000.Created in 2005 by TELUS President and CEO Darren Entwistle, these 15
local community boards are dedicated to supporting local projects. Since they
were founded, the three Quebec-based Community Boards have donated more than
$12.45 million to thousands of local charitable projects conducted by
organizations such as L’Ancre des jeunes, Motivaction Jeunesse and the CRBM
foundation, among others.In September 2012, TELUS opened a state-of-the-art Intelligent Internet Data
Centre in Rimouski, Quebec. TELUS chose to build the centre in
Rimouski due to availability of a skilled workforce in the community, abundant
green features (including an abundance of hydroelectricity) and cool climate.
In 2015, the TELUS Intelligent Internet Data Centre in Rimouski, recognized as one of the world’s
most technologically innovative and energy-efficient facilities, received the
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Award for sustainable
development.

Wednesday, November 30, 2016

In 1956,
brave students in Hungary
embarked on an unplanned march in Budapest.
The Russians brought in tanks. Sometimes students found reprieve as guns were
handed out by resistance fighters to civilians on the street to fight the
Russians. Told through the narration of former author Anna Porter who witnessed
much of this as a 12-year-old girl, she escaped with her mother after a close call at Shopron
border crossing of being turned back by Russians to New Zealand, and finally
after much traveling around the world, she settled in Toronto.

Canada, through the amazing leadership of
Jack Pickersgill who was immigration minister in Canada,
he arranged for free transportation and settlement at Powell
River in Vancouver. The entire forestry school of Shopron
was adopted by Simon
Fraser University.
Most became great professors. This is a story about student resilience, and Canada taking
37,000 refugees like guests. There are
three parts to this film: the student massacre by the Russians and on and off
again occurrence in 1956. The forestry students who escaped to Shopron and fled
to the Austrian border were the lucky ones. The settlement in camps at Powell River
and the return to visit the country they in the film left behind. Anna porter
has written several books about the entire lost generation of bright young
people and those that ended up in Canada. A pivotal, important film
that shows how Canada
rallied when the rest of the world didn't. Canada's generosity to these Hungarian refugees paid off.. It
became one of the best success stories
regarding the plight of refugees. Canada was their saviour. Archival
clips, past and present testimonies make this film truly riveting. Many
personal touches recreate the entire period of danger and safety. A CBC
documentary. This film was shown at the Hungarian Film Festival, titled
“Freedom First” in Toronto.

Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Lyon is set to lionize Montréal en Lumière (MEL). Over a dozen stellar chefs from the city are teaming up withsome 40 chefs in Montreal’s landmark kitchens. The grand affair is
guaranteed to dazzle the palette of diners, wine lovers, cider fiends, cheese
and bread addicts, vegan and health consciouschia and quinoa fans.

The legendary city - France's capital of gastronomy - has been a longtime joie de vivre twin-city fit.Lyon boasts over 4,200 restaurants with over 20 Michelin-star awards. Montreal is opening its kitchens to over 40 overseas’
chefs which includes a parade of 15 chefs from the delectable Délices network – a
4-continent global union of 22 cities of gastronomical repute.

Friday, November 25, 2016

In 1957 a clandestine group of intelligence Hungarian spies are charged
with secretly testing to find out who is counter-revolutionary. Andras, under his friend
and boss, Pali ensures he conducts fair and square his own test, but Andras
himself is being spied on and tested.

When he falls in love with Eva, the table
turns on him and prior to that, his won friend Pali, Eva herself is part of the
spy scheme. She is the ultimate test for Andras to prove where his loyalty
lies. She’s really a plant with that purpose in mind. The ending is good. (Screened at Hungarian Film Festival in Toronto).

It’s a sign of our selfish times that people simply ignore the niceties of politeness and consideration; and it starts right before you leave
your personal dwelling. Please ladies, stop wearing perfume that overcomes
anyone sitting in the movie theatre. Have you ever noticed how many women think it
wise to douse themselves with strong and outdated perfume? It's a stale stench that seems to waft
over the entire seating area. Bad enough you have to deal with noisy popcorn
eaters and candyphiles with their annoying wrappers. Why do they think, the
slower they open the package the quieter it will be? In fact, it just prolongs
the earshot agony.

Latecomers to movie theatres think nothing about trampling over you once
the movie has started. Even people that arrive on time find it beneath them to
say "excuse me" as they step on your feet, passing in front of you to get a seat.

Bus passengers are another bone of contention for me. How about applying some
common courtesy – in the form of deodorant?!It's simply disgusting to sit near a person radiating B.O. instead of
a smile.

Speaking of foul smelling people, smokers reek of stale smoke. I think they should relegate a section in
the bus for smokers, so us non-smokers can breathe in ease.

As for sidewalk behaviour, please stop riding your bike on sidewalks
that are meant for walking. Even the handicapped speed along in their nifty vehicles on the sidewalk
thinking it's their right to run you over. True, they've been dealt a bad deal, but making me lose a leg out of their anger, is not kindly justice. Sometimes, they come up from behind;
there is no bell - nothing to warn you of their speedy approach.

I know everything I say is politically incorrect, or risky, but the
truth is, I'm not alone in these complaints. My close friends often greet me with ominous announcements about the perils they encountered in traveling to my place by public transport.

Courtesy shows class, and class shows consideration, and consideration
shows civility – the very foundation upon which we all rely to move without incidence
from one place to another on a daily basis.

To Order SN's books:

email: nansnipper@gmail.comor through Amazon (kindle)

S.N. writer, poet and musician

A bit and a lot about S.N.

An international award-winning travel journalist, S.N. has written features for over 50 publications – many translated into French, Spanish and Greek. Her children’s book Les 5 Sens en Folie was nominated for a Mr. Christie Award, and her poetry/short storycollection,Beyond the dream: Epic Solitude received praise from CBC Radioand the international film producer, A. J. Virmani.S.N. holds 4 university degrees (Deans list), and is a classical pianist and songwriter with 3Cds out. An intrepid traveler, who has done archaeology in Greece, worked as a journalist there, acted professionally in its amphitheatres, and interviewed prominent artists from the country, S.N. looks forward to sharing her reviews and adventures with readers. She writes honestly and with wit. Her recent novel, Floating on Lily Pads made headlines on radio and TV.

FLOATING ON LILY PADS

SN's new novel is sure to thrill you. You can purchase it on Kindle or leave your request in any comment box.